Today we’d like to introduce you to Nash Hutto.
Hi Nash, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have felt like an artist since the moment I could hold a crayon. I was an easily distracted, hyperactive child (and still am), and drawing was really the only time I could sit still for hours and focus. I went to Auburn University where I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.
After college, I found it was difficult to support myself with art and had to take various sales jobs which moved me around the south and eventually to Salt Lake City. Tired of working in sales, I decided to take Graphic Design classes at Salt Lake Community College, which led me to my first design job as the Web Editor for SLCC’s Arts and Literary magazine, Folio. From there, I began working as the Publications Coordinator for the Community Writing Center.
Throughout my career progression, my personal art has always been my main passion. I work in various mediums but predominantly create hand-drawn pen and ink art, then add backgrounds digitally. I have recently been getting back into oil painting and am currently working on designing merchandise from my artwork, including prints, stickers, and shirts.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t think any artist really has a smooth road to success. Unlike other careers, there isn’t a clear-cut path that is laid out for you, and hard work and talent don’t always equal progress. One of my main struggles, and one that I feel certain that most artists can relate to, has been balancing the need for a day job with my desire to create art. We seem to romanticize the idea of a starving artist, but in truth, it is impossible to have the mental space for creativity if your mind is occupied by financial concerns. Right now, I am lucky enough to have a job that encourages my creativity, but that has not always been the case.
One of my main issues at the moment has been learning how to market myself and sell my art. While marketing once felt like an afterthought, it is now absolutely necessary to create a social media presence, record myself drawing, and basically become an online marketing expert. Like many artists, this doesn’t come naturally to me, and the time commitment to learn what feels like an entire additional job has taken away from the time I have to actually create art.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My work is deeply personal and is inspired by my life. I use art to process issues I am struggling with, personal relationships, and self-acceptance. I came out as gay in 2007 in the conservative Alabama town where I grew up, and I remember processing the feelings I had through a series of paintings. Since then, I have processed everything from the fear of being alone to falling in love, with gender identity through artwork. Every piece that I create tells a story.
Stylistically, I am inspired by comic book art and have a distinct high contrast, expressive style that is recognizable in both my drawings and paintings.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of my favorite childhood memories is catching lightning bugs in the yard at my grandma’s house in Alabama.
Searching excitedly under the pecan tree while glowing lights swarmed around me, my tiny hands grasping a mason jar with holes punched in the top, the world felt infinite and magical. I am working on a drawing right now inspired by this memory and plan to experiment with gold leaf, lights, and other mixed media.
Pricing:
- 8 x 10 Prints- $25
- 11 x 14 Prints- $30
- Shirts- $30
- Originals- $500+
- Commissions- TBD (contact me for a quote)
Contact Info:
- Website: nashhuttoart.etsy.com
- Instagram: @nashhutto_art
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NashHutto/
